Julie Bermea

The Deputy Secretary of Defense has issued a directive to disestablish JCIDS (Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System) and reform the way the Department identifies and funds requirements. For DoD civilians: - less process - more speed - tighter budget alignment For industry: - earlier access - more transparency - better chances to cross the valley of death (if solutions are aligned with Joint Force problems) https://lnkd.in/gWXbcvJ3

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Expectation Management and Optimism in GovCon Technology In government contracting, technology discovery, development, and transition sit at the intersection of optimism and reality. We should applaud entrepreneurs, innovators, incubators, and accelerators because if no one ever developed anything until we needed it, we would be far behind where we are today. That optimism matters. But so does expectation management. Programs incur risk if we do not consider the Four Mountains: requirements, funding, contract strategy, and priority. Each is a climb. Together, they form the terrain every idea must cross before it becomes an enduring capability. Add in the uncertainty of continuing resolutions, and it is easy to see why so many efforts get stuck between promise and delivery. Expectation management means being honest about timelines, resources, and outcomes. Optimism means creating the space for discovery so that when the need comes, the solution is already moving. Both are required if discovery, incubation, or acceleration are going to deliver more than prototypes and demonstrations. The Secretary of War directed that decision authority be pushed to the lowest levels so outcomes could be accelerated where the fight was actually happening. The Department of War is now working through the limits, the funding, and the priorities of that direction. If it plays out, we could soon see innovative solutions scaling faster than ever. When authority, clarity, and resources meet innovation, transition can follow. We are on the verge of a sea change. We will always balance scouted technologies against developed capabilities and transition, but that is the nature of the work. Discovery without transition is the theater. Discovery never begins without optimism. To all the innovators out there, as Theodore Roosevelt said, “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” Or as Joe Dirt said, "You can't have "no" in your heart, "No" is not an option, brother!"

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The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) is forecasting a $201 million small business set-aside IDIQ contract to provide data collection and support services for the Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland. With the current contract set to expire, this recompete presents a prime opportunity for experienced small businesses in IT, data services, and test support to step in. #advancedmanufacturing #aiinmilitary #army #armytech #automationtools #cloudmigration #cybersecurity #dataintegration #defenseinnovation #devsecops #enterpriseit #govcontracting #logisticsinnovation #simulationtech #trainingtechnology #usarmy

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31 class deviations. 30 DFARS parts revised. Effective December 18, 2025. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul just hit DoD contracting. Miss these changes, and your next proposal quotes dead language. Three Executive Orders drove this. EO 14275 on common sense procurement. EO 14265 on defense acquisition modernization. OMB Memo M-25-26 mandates the FAR overhaul. DoD moved fast, using class deviations as interim measures while formal rulemaking catches up. What actually changed? Acquisition planning streamlined. Parts 207 and 210 cut documentation burdens for market research and planning. Less paperwork. Faster timelines. Commercial products prioritized. Part 212 revisions push COTS-first. If commercial solutions exist, custom development becomes harder to justify. Competition rules simplified. Part 206 changes reduce barriers to entry. More pathways for nontraditional vendors to compete on an equal footing. Emergency acquisitions accelerated. Part 218 revisions speed up urgent capability delivery. When speed matters, bureaucracy steps aside. Contract financing improved. Part 232 updates help contractors working on government programs improve cash flow. Simplified acquisition procedures expanded. Part 213 revisions raise thresholds and reduce friction for smaller buys. More work is moving under simplified procedures rather than full FAR compliance. The scope is broad. Everything from bonds and insurance (Part 228) to R&D contracting (Part 235) to IT acquisition (Part 239) got touched. Even value engineering (Part 248) and termination procedures (Part 249) were revised. Reality check for contractors. These deviations apply to new solicitations, contracts, task orders, and delivery orders issued on or after December 18, 2025. Some ongoing actions have exceptions. RFO definitions supersede FAR 2.101 where conflicts arise. If you're quoting old FAR language in proposals, verify it still applies. Full line-out documents showing strikethroughs and revisions are posted on the official DoD acquisition site. Review them before your next submission. The government just removed excuses for slow procurement. Contractors who can't match that velocity will watch faster competitors take their share. How many of these 31 deviations has your team actually read? ---------- Like this content? Join our newsletter. Link located below my name 👆

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ATTENTION: Service Members & Veterans! The PMP is Changing—And It’s a HUGE Win for Military Experience. The PMP 2026 update is a strategic advantage for transitioning leaders. Your project experience is more relevant than ever. Key Changes that Validate Your Service: ✅ 10-Year Eligibility Window: Your hard-earned project hours now count for a full decade, offering maximum flexibility post-transition. ✅ Strategic Leadership Focus: The Business Environment domain triples in weight (up to 26%), directly aligning with your expertise in mission execution, resource control, and strategic alignment. ✅ Training Validation: New rules promise better recognition of high-intensity military training programs and apprenticeships. Your leadership, adaptability, and mission-focus are the future of project management. Don't let your experience expire. Matt Quick, Juan Nieves, PMP, John Miller, Christine Aboud, #PMP #PMI #ProjectManagement #Veterans #MilitaryTransition #Certification

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